of toronto



F. M. GEALE TELEPHONE DIAL (Set. 25, 1927.

Filed Dec. 11, 1926 v I I. L'IfISVENTI'JE.

Patented Oct. 25, 1927.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK M. GEALE, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS FOSTER HIRE, IN TRUST, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

TELEPHONE DIAL.

Application filed December 11, 1926. Serial No. 154,187.

This invention relates to telephones of the type in which the stand is provided at its base with a dial and means adapted to be rotated by the finger to efliect a call. The dial is stationary and, over it, is located a rotatable ring having openings therein into which the finger is inserted to rotate the ring. The dial, owing to its location, 1s only readily seen under strong diffused llght,

and even then, the visibility is often interfered'with by the users head or hand. In dark locations what, at the best is not always easy, becomes almost impossible and mistakes in calling numbers constantly occur.

My object therefore is to giveperfect v1s1- bility to the dial and to do it 1n such a way that the visibility is in no way lnterfered with by shadows cast by parts exterior to the dial. a

a I attain my object by forming the dial of translucent material, the :indicia thereon being opaque. Beneath the dial one or more incandescent electric lamps are supported adapted to illuminate the dial. These lamps are supplied with current, either from a separate source orfrom the telephone c1rcuit itself. The lamp circuit is normally open butis; arranged to be closed by the act of lifting the ear-phone from the pivoted hook on which it is normally supported.

The invention is hereinafter more specifically described-and is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings in which I Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly broken away, of a telephone stand prov ded with my improved dial;

Fig. 2 a plan view of part of the underside of the same,flpartlybroken away; and

Fig. 3 a vertical section through the base of the stand taken from front to rear.

In the drawings like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures.

1 is a telephone stand of ordinary type 4 provided with the usual book 2, on which the ear-phone 3 is supported when the telephone is not in use. The hook 2 is pivoted at 4 within the standard of the stand. 5 is an ordinary jack forming a spring switch controlling the telephone circuit, which jack is engaged in the ordinary way by the heel of the hook 2. I

6' is a dial which, as usual in automatic telephones, bears the numbers and letters used in effecting a call the series extending almost entirely around the dial. Above this is pivotally supported a ring 7 provided with holes for engagement by the users finger, when the dial is to be ro ated, the movement being limited by the usual stop 8.

As the other parts of the telephone itself are of ordinary construction and have no bearing on the present invention, further detailed description is unnecessary. Suflice it to say that any parts interfering with the illumination of the dial from below are il laminated as far as possible.

Ordinarily the disk 18 supporting the working parts of the dialling mechanism substantially entirely masks the dial from below. In my improved construction this diskis connected to the stand by two or more arms 19, one located at the upper part of the dial, and one'or more at the lower part where they will interfere as little as possible with the illumination of the numbers and letters on the dial. I

In the base of the stand below and one at each side of the dial are supported the incandescent electric lamps 9, their position being such that the dial 6, which is formed of translucent material, is mainly illuminated by the direct rays of the lamps.

To cause better illumination of the parts of the dial remote from the lamps I provide the reflecting surfaces 10 and 11, preferably coated withwhite enamel. .An even illumination all round the dial is thus obtained. It is also preferable to coat other surfaces adapted to reflect the light of the lamps against thedial with white enamel, or otherwise to give them a light reflecting and diffusing surface. Any shadows cast by the arms 19 are thus eliminated.

When the current employed in the telephone is of suflicient voltage, the lamps may be directly connected in series with the telephone circuit. Such an arrangement is shown in Fig. 2.

WVhere the ordinary telephone current is not suflicient, it will be necessary to provide a separate circuit, as shown diagrammatically in Fig. 1, in which 12 is a transformer connected with an ordinary lighting circuit and '13 a lamp circuit, which includes a jaeii .14 forming a spring switch This switch normally tends to close the lamp circuit but is held open by a projection 15 on the hook 2, the projection extending through a hole in a supporting plate 16 from a stop 17 on the hook 2, which engages the plate 16 to limit the downward movement of the hook due to the weight of the ear-phone.

It will be found in a telephone arranged as in the above description that there is perfeet and even illumination of the dial, which enables the telephoneto be easily and conveniently used wherever located.

As the lamps are only lit when the earphone is lifted from the hook, the current consumption is small. a

It will be understood that the term dial telephone stand used in this specification includes any known type of support for telef phones to which a dial for effecting the making of a call is connected.

lVliat I claim is 1. dial telephone stand provided with a translucent dial; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the'dial; and reflecting surfaces positioned between the lamps to reflect light against phrts of the dial insufficiently illuminated by direct light.

ill

i 2. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow base having an opening in its upper side an annular translucent dial'supported in'said opening; a disk'concent'rie with'the dial for supporting dialling mechanism; v grins extending across the opening for supporting said disk; and electric lamps.

arranged below and one "at each of opposite sides of the dial, thesaid arms being constructed and'positioned so as to oifer' a minimum of obstruction between the lamps and the dial.

'3. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow base having anopening in its upper I v s de; an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; a disk concentric with the dial vfor supporting diallil ig mechanism; arms extending across the opening for supporting'said disk; electric lamps arranged below' and' one at each of opposite sides of the dial; and reflectors positioned between the lamps to reflect light against parts of the dial'insufliciently illuminated by direct light.

i. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow base having an opening in its upper side; an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; adisk concentric with the dial for supporting dialling mechanism; arms extending across the opening for supporting said disk; electric lamps arranged below'and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; and a reflector below the upper part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial.

5. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow base having an opening in its upper side; an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; a disk concentric with the dial for supporting dialling mechanism; arms extending across the opening for supporting said disk; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; and a reflector below the lower part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial.

6. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow 'base having an opening in its upper side; an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; a disk concentric with the dial for supporting dialling mechanism arm's eXtendingacross-the opening for supporting said disk; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; a reflector below the upper part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial; and a reflector below the lower part of the dial set at an acute angle to theunder surface of the dial and eoncavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial.

7. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow"base having' an opening in its upper" side; "an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; a disk concentr'ie'hvith' the dial for supporting dialling mechanism;means for supporting said disk from" the base; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; and'a reflector below the upper part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavcly curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial] 8. A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow base having an opening in its upper side; an annular translucent dial supported in said opening; a disk concentrio with the dial for supporting dialling mechanism; means for supporting said disk from the base; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; and a reflector below the lower part'of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavely curved in ahorizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial.

' 9.'A dial telephone stand provided with a hollow basefhaving an opening in its upper side; an annular translucent dial supported'in said opening; a disk concentrio with the dial for supporting dialling mechanism; means for supporting said disk from the base; electric lamps arranged below and one at each of opposite sides of the dial; a reflector below the upper part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under sur face of the dial and concavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial; and a reflector below the lower part of the dial set at an acute angle to the under surface of the dial and concavely curved in a horizontal plane, the concavity being towards the center of the dial.

Signed at Toronto, Canada, this 2nd day of December, 1926.

FREDERICK M. GEALE. 

